August 4, 2008

Hubris

The
USPTO has unveiled a new electronic "portrait gallery" "highlighting past
and present individuals who have made a contribution to America's intellectual
property (IP) system." Included are "digital electronic portraits of United
States Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison; famous inventor Thomas
Edison; National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductees Helen Free, who developed home
testing for diabetes, and Steve Wozniak, the inventor and co-founder of Apple
Computer; and Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director
of the USPTO Jon Dudas."

From the announcement:

The gallery portraits, through the magic of computer-generated special
effects and exclusive control software, spontaneously come to life,
interactively engaging in humorous banter that highlights the history and
growth of America's intellectual property system.

It is fitting, considering that software is not per se patentable, that the
PTO refers to software as "magic."

"The Portrait Gallery is a great addition to the USPTO Museum," said
Under Secretary Dudas. "It makes for an enlightening and entertaining
history lesson that compares the humble beginnings of the IP system to the
important role that the USPTO now plays in modern society."

Putting Dudas in the portraits illustrates well the transition from "humble
beginnings" to the self-"important role that the USPTO now plays in modern
society."

The museum is located in the atrium of the Madison Building at 600 Dulany
Street in Alexandria, Va. The museum is free to the public, and is open
weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m.

Posted by Patent Hawk at August 4, 2008 11:46 AM
| The Patent Office

Comments

What I really want to know is whether my client's search fees and examination fees are paying for this stuff.

Posted by: A at August 4, 2008 1:13 PM

Looks like Peterlin left just a week too early.

Dudas' vanity is reminiscent of the Lehman days. Anyone remember when almost everything PTO had a portrait of Lehman on it?

Quoting from the PTO Impulse (Satire):

"The Portrait Gallery is a great addition to the USPTO Museum," said Under Secretary Dudas, "and I am a great addition to the Portrait Gallery," he said to the watching public as he was brimming with pride. "It's just too bad IP's humble beginnings, personified by Jefferson and Madison, detract so much from my importance and radiance." Dudas flashed a smile, paused for a photo-shoot, and predicted, "Someday I guarantee I'll graduate from high school and leave this teen scene world of mine behind. I might even do it before my kids do!" But, sadly, Jon didn't yet realize there was a world outside of his imagination where his accomplishments were not even a mere shadow of those humble beginnings, and that humility was actually a very becoming character trait for a human being to possess.

Posted by: PTO Impulse (Satire) at August 4, 2008 1:34 PM

Why is the great and innovative Dudas lowering himself to the same category as that criminal Edison, who was known for dastardly acts such as filing multiple continuations? (probably just to 'wear down' the Examiner) Dudas is pure and clean, unlike Edison who was just "gaming the system."

Posted by: anonymousAgent at August 5, 2008 9:49 AM

"Daddy, what is this nice plaque on your wall ? It has some nice seal and a ribbon and a signature of some dude named Dudas ?"

"Nothing important my dear... It's called US Patent.. The dude's signature doesn't mean shit and the thing is not even usable as a toilet paper - too rough on your ass..."